Online Reporter
Remember Deketeke
Municipal Correspondent
Government is strengthening early warning systems, anticipatory action and community resilience to minimise the impact of climate-related emergencies through a proactive disaster risk management approach centred on prevention and preparedness rather than response.
This was revealed by Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe at a Zimbabwe National Defence University (ZNDU) lecture on strengthening early warning, anticipatory action and community resilience.
Minister Garwe said the changing nature of disasters, driven largely by climate change, demanded a proactive national emergency response anchored on preparedness rather than reaction.
He said Zimbabwe continued to face an increasing number of hazards, including droughts, floods, tropical cyclones, disease outbreaks, pest infestations, mine collapses, environmental degradation and human-wildlife conflict.
“Disaster risk management can no longer be viewed solely as a response function. The future lies in prevention, preparedness, anticipation and resilience. Every dollar invested in preparedness saves multiple dollars in response and recovery. More importantly, it saves lives, protects livelihoods and preserves development gains.”
Minister Garwe said Government had adopted a comprehensive, multi-sectoral disaster risk management framework, with structures extending from the national level to villages.
“Zimbabwe has therefore adopted a comprehensive and multi-sectoral approach to disaster risk management under the leadership of the Department of Civil Protection,” he said.
“Our disaster management architecture extends from the national level down to provinces, districts, wards and villages, ensuring that preparedness and response mechanisms are embedded throughout the country.
“This Whole-of-Government and Whole-of-Society approach enables coordinated action before, during and after disasters.”
He said strengthening Early Warning Systems remained one of the key pillars of the country’s disaster management strategy.
“Early Warning Systems enable us to detect, monitor and communicate impending hazards before they become disasters,” he said.
The Minister added that Zimbabwe was increasingly embracing impact-based forecasting, which assesses not only the occurrence of hazards but also their likely effects on communities, infrastructure, agriculture and livelihoods.
“We are increasingly embracing impact-based forecasting, which goes beyond predicting hazards to assessing their likely consequences on communities, infrastructure, agriculture and livelihoods,” he said.
“This allows decision-makers to take timely action and communities to make informed decisions before disasters strike.”
However, the Minister said warnings alone were not enough.
“Early warning must trigger early action. This is where Anticipatory Action becomes critically important. Anticipatory Action refers to measures taken before a forecast hazard unfolds or before its most severe impacts are felt,” he said.
“Rather than waiting for a disaster to occur, we act on scientific forecasts and risk information to protect lives, livelihoods and critical infrastructure.”
He said Government had developed the National Anticipatory Action Roadmap, the National Anticipatory Action Framework and Terms of Reference for Anticipatory Action Subcommittees to move the country from reactive disaster response to proactive risk management.
